W Howe St Bridge Project – Seismic Retrofit

Updated: October 17, 2018

What’s happening now?

Our project team is currently in early design for the W Howe St Bridge seismic improvements. Construction is anticipated to begin as early as summer 2019.

To stay up-to-date with the latest design information, sign up to join our project email list. We will keep you updated by sending emails at major milestones. We will also work closely with neighbors who live near the project area to communicate the construction schedule and what to expect as construction approaches.

Project Overview

Seismic events could have a significant detrimental effect on Seattle’s infrastructure. To address seismic risks to city infrastructure, the City of Seattle established a bridge seismic retrofit program to assess the seismic vulnerability of the City’s bridges and to prioritize limited funding to reduce this transportation infrastructure vulnerability.

As part of the Levy to Move Seattle, 16 bridges were selected for seismic retrofits, including the W Howe St Bridge. The W Howe St Bridge is an older bridge constructed in 1981 prior to the modernization of the seismic design code. The bridge provides a more direct connection across 32nd Ave W to the neighborhood located along the southwest edge of the Magnolia community.

Most of the work will take place underneath the bridge. At this time, we anticipate there may be occasional delays or detours for people driving, biking, or walking across the bridge. The staircase that provides access from W Howe St down to 32nd Ave W will likely be closed for the duration of the project to maintain a safe separation between people and the work site.

The planned seismic retrofits to W Howe St Bridge include several modifications to seismically strengthen existing bridge components and reduce overall seismic vulnerability. The following figure shows the major construction elements.

Replace end of bridge bearings; stabalize support beams at the ends of the bridge with support beam caps and catcher blocks

Restore disturbed landscaping

Project Schedule*

30% Design

Complete

60% Design

Fall 2018

Final Design

Late winter 2018

Construction begins

Summer 2019

* The schedule is subject to change.

Funding

The total project estimate is $4.2 million, and the project is funded through the Levy to Move Seattle. Approved by voters in 2015, the 9-year, $930 million Levy to Move Seattle provides funding to improve safety for all travelers, maintain our streets and bridges, and invest in reliable, affordable travel options for a growing city.

Get Involved

We're committed to keeping you informed and working with neighbors to limit construction impacts to the extent feasible. Here are some ways to get more information about the project:

Nearby Construction Project

We are working closely with the King County Wastewater Treatment Division to understand community impacts from their project and to minimize community impacts as much as possible. We will continue to do our best to minimize traffic delays, detours, and construction impacts.

City-Wide Information

Top Requests

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) develops, maintains, and operates a transportation system that promotes the mobility of people and goods, and enhances the quality of life, environment, and economy of Seattle. In June 2002, SDOT was created by combining transportation planning from the former Strategic Planning Office with the former Seattle Transportation Department to bring a more comprehensive approach to transportation service delivery. A major element of SDOT's creation was the establishment of the Policy, Planning, and Major Projects division, which is charged with transportation system planning and providing increased control and influence over major projects under construction in Seattle.